CORE A: ADMINISTRATIVE CORE SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The Administrative Core will be responsible for the administrative, fiscal, organizational and communication needs of this large, complex and highly interactive program. To ensure success of this U19, the Program has been established with a Principal Investigator, Dr. Daniel Promislow, at the University of Washington, and a Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Kate Creevy, at Texas A&M University's (TAMU) College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Promislow and Dr. Creevy have been close collaborators for nine years. Dr. Creevy will be the Director of Core C and Leader of Project 1. Other than Dr. Creevy and Dr. Levine (also at TAMU), all other scientific participants are affiliated with the University of Washington, ensuring ease of access and smooth lines of communication among Cores and Projects. As Director of Core A and PI of the U19 Program Project, Dr. Promislow will serve as the NIH primary contact and will oversee all financial interactions and sub-contracts, with assistance from co-Investigator Dr. Matt Kaeberlein. Both Dr. Promislow and Dr. Creevy will be assisted by local administrative support to facilitate the lines of communication between the Investigators, Cores and Projects. The overall goals of the Administrative Core are to 1) provide leadership, guidance, and effective organizational structure that promotes communication between Cores and Projects and ensures the quality and progress of our scientific goals; 2) work with the Data and Analysis Core B to ensure adherence to the highest standards of research design and analysis; 3) manage fiscal oversight of the entire Program Project; and 4) provide short- and long-range planning.